Two teenage girls were killed and five others were injured when the car in which they were travelling went out of control and plunged 15 feet onto a riverbed near the village of Castlemaine in County Kerry early this morning. The two who were killed have been named as 18-year old Claire O'Donnell and 19-year old Rachel Greensmith, both from the West Kerry village of Camp.
It has emerged that the group had earlier been attending a double birthday celebration for Claire O'Donnell and her sister, Karla. The accident happened about a quarter of a mile off the main Castlemaine to Annascaul road at Shannahill East shortly after 2am. The Peugot 205 car in which the seven people were travelling went out of control and plunged about 15 feet onto a riverbed. It is understood they were dropping two friends home when the accident happened.
The village of Camp is a small community and this tragedy will hit particularly hard there. Three 21 year olds and two 19 year olds who were injured were also taken to Tralee General Hospital where two of them, a man and a woman, were detained. Their injuries are not life threatening. The Peugot car was extensively damaged in the crash and will be examined technically later.
